To learn 3 real-world setups that our traders use, including the simple setup that we teach all our new traders, and the setup that turned one of our traders into a 7-figure big money earner, check out the free webinar we're currently running. bit.ly/smbcaptraining

Our four-step earnings process connects the headline reaction, conference call, and price confirmation to plans for the next day so you can define your risk and recognize when the trade has changed. youtu.be/FQIH6o18y9g

🚨 James takes the PlayBook hot seat. 🚨 Will he pass? Join Bella for SMB Inside Access on Wednesday, October 21 at 1:30 PM Eastern. James is breaking down his Day-1 Earnings Gap-Down Reversal in $INTU from August 26, 2026: +3.06R on A risk. A green P&L is only part of the story. On our desk, we grade the process. The benchmarks: 80 → Junior Intern 85 → Senior Intern 90 → New-hire standard to earn a professional trading seat We’ll put James’s trade through our 10-part PlayBook scorecard live—the mentoring process SMB traders have used for over 15 years. Here’s what we’ll review: • The earnings gap-down: How a guidance reset and a 9.5% pre-market gap created a reversal setup near daily support. • The VWAP targets: How the 2-Day and Week-to-Date VWAPs shaped his profit-taking plan. • Confirmation vs. anticipation: Starting with B risk on a volume-backed session VWAP reclaim, then adding to A size after the $327.50 pre-market high broke. • The fast exits: James sold 15 of 20 shares into the VWAP targets in just 98 seconds. Disciplined scaling—or too much, too soon for an A-conviction trade? • The technology: Using standard deviation overextension flags and 50-minute EMA trails to make scale-outs and runner stops more systematic. Bring your questions. Come support James. See what grade his process earns. 📍 SMB Inside Access — The PlayBook ⏰ Wednesday, October 21 | 1:30 PM Eastern Join us: smbtraining.com/blog/smb-ins… One Good Trade.

From opening drives to exhaustion reversals, we walk through six momentum trades and how to read the urgency behind each, so you can connect stock selection, setup and execution. youtu.be/reWtEMpWlpA

Trade well. Give back. Those words hang on the wall at SMB Capital. We’re bringing that spirit to Traders4ACause Austin 2026, and we’d love to see you there. Come meet Mike Bellafiore, SMB’s Co-Founder, and Jeff Holden, our Head of Trader Development, in person. Talk trading with Bella: Bring your toughest questions about improving your performance and sharpening your edge. Hear stories from the desk about who is doing exceptionally well at SMB right now—and why. (Fair warning: Ask Bella about youth baseball training only if you have an hour to spare.) Talk recruiting with Jeff: Curious about earning a seat on a prop desk? Ask what it takes to get hired as a full-time trader at SMB or land an internship. Whether you’re looking to break into prop trading, take your independent trading to the next level, or connect with top proprietary and independent traders while supporting a great cause, come join us in Austin. Register and learn more: traders4acause.org/austin26/ If you’re coming, make sure to say hello!

Trading breakouts with options takes more than a bullish thesis: our MRNA call debit spread illustrates how to define your downside, match the structure to the move you need, and reassess risk even when the trade’s working.

Trade well. Give back. Join SMB’s Mike Bellafiore & Jeff Holden at Traders4ACause Austin 2026! Talk trading with Bella. Ask Jeff about prop desk careers & SMB internships. Connect with great traders for a great cause. traders4acause.org/austin26/

If you're only watching price on an options trade, you're missing two other moving parts: volatility and time.

Before you trust an options strategy's win rate, watch how we evaluate the size of wins and losses, risk across expirations and backtested exit rules so you can plan for what happens when you're wrong. youtu.be/7zFONVRQHFs

We're breaking down six core momentum trades behind familiar strategy names so you can identify what price is actually doing, put it in context and know what needs to happen before you enter. youtu.be/h6KnW-ahzbU

Forcing day two continuation inside day one’s range can mean repeated losses: zoom out, limit yourself to one attempt while price is trapped, and wait for a key level to break and hold before giving it your full attention.

🚨 Desk Alert: Today’s PlayBook Review — Nolan Takes the Hot Seat 🚨 Today we are back for another mentoring session that our traders have used for over 15 years to build their trading business—the PlayBook. Nolan Lennon is stepping into the hot seat today to deconstruct a live setup from his trading ledger: The Day 2 Play in $WFF. Nolan was a traditional hire for us—he interned with us in college, did two separate internships, consistently stood out, and earned a full-time offer to join our desk. But because Nolan is a new hire, the bar is exceptionally high. I have graded hundreds of these presentations over the years. On our desk, 80 gets a Junior Intern passing grade, 85 is the Senior Intern benchmark, and 90 is the line required for new hires. Today, we will grade Nolan using our 10-point scorecard for 10 elements of The PlayBook. What You’ll Learn Today: • The Low-Float Day 2 PlayBook: Why low-float runners trade in distinct cycles, and how a stock that "should be dead" after a massive Day 1 run can trap early shorts and trigger an explosive Day 2 continuation squeeze. • Confirmation vs. Anticipation on Opening Ranges: Nolan identifies a clean Opening Range Breakout (ORB) on Day 2. We’ll examine whether he waited for volume to confirm the reclaim or fell into the trap of anticipating before the tape gave the green light. • Trading Limit Halts (LRP Bands): Low floats on 10% limit bands demand unique tape mechanics. Nolan walks through how he navigated LRP halts—and I will challenge him on whether scaling out 40% on the first LRP up left way too much R on the table. • No More Piker Sizing on A+ Setups: When a stock trades over 146M shares on Day 1 and continues to hold elevated RVOL with under 1% short interest, how do you size it? We’ll look at whether Nolan sized up to his conviction or stayed in hesitant "C-tier" risk. • Custom Technology & Range Breaks: Nolan shares how he utilizes custom scanners for high dollar-volume runners under $10, LRP montage tools, and automated Range Box tech. We’ll see how systematizing your screeners prevents you from missing moves. Get off the sidelines, come support Nolan as he takes the hot seat, bring your questions, and let’s see what grade he earns today. Will Nolan pass? 📍 Where: SMB Inside Access — The PlayBook smbtraining.com/blog/smb-ins… ⏰ When: Wednesday 1:30 PM EST One Good Trade, Bella

Your trade review should spell out what you'd change and what you'd keep, including whether the hedge was adequate and how execution matched the original thesis.

The breakout level gives us an initial stop reference on an in-play small cap: we’ll typically place our stop just below it.

Trading won’t work unless you know THIS Indicator youtu.be/CvRwUoDZiog?si=aEJk… via @YouTube

The 12 Keys to Market Greatness youtu.be/MsuB2-J8t-E?si=A-3W… via @YouTube

A look inside Team Max youtu.be/NWd826LLHNM

🚨 Desk Alert: Today’s PlayBook Review Alkin Takes the Hot Seat 🚨 SMB Inside Access Team, Today we’re back for another mentoring session our traders have used for over 15 years to build their trading business: the PlayBook. Alkin Meletiou is stepping into the hot seat to deconstruct a live setup from his trading ledger: The 2nd Day Play in $SOXL. Let me be clear: the 2nd Day Play is one of the two best trades to learn and develop as a trader. If you pinned me down and asked for my top 3 trades for new and developing traders, a 2nd Day Trade makes that list every single time. On our top desk, Nano has repeatedly noted how instrumental learning this trade was for his career—and how much value Steve Spencer has added by continually pounding the table for desk traders to take it. If it’s good enough for a top trader on our top team in 2025, it ought to grab your undivided attention. This is an absolute must-add to your PlayBook. I’ve graded hundreds of these presentations over the years. Our desk benchmarks: 80 — Junior Intern 85 — Senior Intern 90 — New hire Today, we’re putting Alkin through our standardized 10-point scorecard live. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN 1. The Power of the 2nd Day Play Why this setup is a foundational building block for consistent, professional traders—and how Day 1 institutional sponsorship sets up asymmetric Day 2 continuation. 2. Systematic Trailing vs. Leaving R on the Table Alkin backtested VWAP, 9 EMA, and bar-break trails. We’ll examine why the VWAP trail paid over +3R while tighter bar breaks choked off the second leg. Are you cutting your winners too early just to see green P&L? 3. Technology & Team Collaboration Alkin built a custom Pine Script screener to filter Day 1 candidates before sharing them with his pod. We’ll look at how using technology to systematize your universe directly fuels desk collaboration. 4. Confirmation on the Open When a high-momentum asset gaps down 3.0% against a roaring market, how do you wait for price to confirm the reclaim before striking? 5. The 10-Point Scorecard Audit Presentation diligence is a direct proxy for trading discipline. We’ll grade Alkin across all 10 variables, from Reading the Tape to Trade Management. Get off the sidelines. Come support Alkin in the hot seat, bring your questions, and let’s see what grade he earns today. Will Alkin pass? 📍 SMB Inside Access — The PlayBook ⏰ Wednesday at 1:30 PM EST smbtraining.com/blog/smb-ins… One Good Trade, Bella

Good entry, target hit, then an add outside the playbook took the trade back to breakeven. The trigger: deciding the winner wasn't enough.

Low-float squeeze watch: real catalyst + heavy premarket volume, clear resistance, locates available, limited dilution risk and overhead supply. Then the sequence: shorts trapped below VWAP → reclaim and hold above VWAP → HOD or consolidation breakout.

A losing trade can still be well executed..